Thursday, April 23, 1998 | 7:54 a.m.
Bishop Gorman graduate Matt Smith had been living a dream long before his phone rang on Monday night.
When the Oklahoma State freshman pitcher heard the voice on the other line tell him he'd been invited to try out for the USA Baseball National Team, it was just icing on the cake.
"I was pretty surprised," admitted Smith, one of 40 players who will try to earn a spot on the 26-man roster this June in Tucson, Ariz. "It was always in the back of my mind, but I never really thought about it seriously.
"I'm in a win-win situation," he continued. "Hopefully, I can be one of the 26, but if not, what an experience to try out with those guys."
So far, Smith's freshman season has been everything he'd hoped it would be and more. Through Tuesday, the 6-5 left-hander was firmly entrenched as the 14th-ranked Cowboys' No. 2 starter, with a record of 4-1 and a 3.30 ERA.
"Coming into this year, I had goals, but being in the rotation seemed far-fetched for me," Smith said. "But I had a pretty good fall, and things started going my way."
If Smith can make the final cut after the two-week tryout at High Corbett Field -- the Colorado Rockies' Spring Training facility -- he will travel to Nicaragua for the qualifying rounds of this summer's World Championships.
Smith is the second Las Vegas product to earn an invitation to the event. He will join UNLV sophomore Ryan Ludwick, a former Durango graduate.
Staying unbeaten
Durango's boys golf team remains the Sunset Division's only undefeated squad, but the Trailblazers got quite a scare in last Thursday's match with Palo Verde.
A scorecard miscue nearly disqualified Durango senior Steve Simister, initially awarding the Panthers a four-stroke win at Eagle Crest, their home course.
"We thought we'd won the match," Palo Verde coach Jeff Wolfram said. "Our kids were on cloud nine."
Upon further examination, however, it was determined that Simister's card had not been filled out incorrectly, giving the Trailblazers a three-stroke win over the first-year varsity golf program.
"We breathed a big sigh of relief," Durango coach Jim Allen said. "A couple of my players had already left, so I went over to their houses to let them know we'd won."
Heading into today's action, the Trailblazers had a perfect 11-0 league record (13-1 overall), thanks in large part to a six-player rotation that has produced five different medalists this season.
"We're real balanced." Allen said. "All six guys have averaged under 40 this year."
Sophomore Randy Creighton has led the way for Durango this season, followed closely by seniors Joe Gentile, Tyler Nielsen and Simister, junior Justin Anderson and freshman Chad Fosberg.
The Trailblazers' only loss this spring came on the season's second day -- a 193-201 non-league defeat to Green Valley at Legacy.
Movin' on up
The Green Valley baseball team, which entered the USA Today national poll at No. 6 last week, moved up to No. 4 in this week's Top 25.
The Gators, who had their 19-game win streak snapped by Silverado after the rankings were released, trail only Start (Toledo, Ohio), Rochester (Mich.) and Vestavia Hills (Birmingham, Ala.) in this week's poll.
Massey on the mark
Green Valley senior Dallas Massey captured last weekend's Sunrise Vista Amateur Golf Tournament, downing Al Kuykendall in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff.
Massey, a member of the Gators' undefeated golf squad, wound up with a two-day total score of 150.
Impress the scouts
High school baseball and softball players are invited to display their skills in front of college recruiters at the upcoming Metro Showcase.
The event, which will be held at UNLV on June 12-13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to juniors, sophomores and freshmen. Participants can also qualify for a spot on the Metro Stars, a traveling team of all-stars from around the nation.
For more information, call 1-888-818-0044.
Last chance for legion
Friday is the final day for teams to sign up for the 1998 American Legion baseball season. For information, call 731-3446.
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